Houses and haikus

Sadly, all is not too good on the house front, I’m sorry to say. Our attempt to buy the flat beneath ours in order to expand into an actual house is being put into jeopardy by the sellers playing a rather interesting game with exchange and completion dates. One moment they agree on both these, then they don’t like the exchange date, then they decide they like the exchange date but don’t like the completion one. Honestly it started out being all very disheartening but has now become somewhat amusing. We have had little option but to respond with firm but fair emails and by ignoring the phone-calls we’ve been getting. Interesting too that the emails they send say something rather different from the phone messages, hey ho, but we’re trying to back off and remain neutral until they and our hard-pressed legal teams sort out between themselves exactly what their position might be, Gawd bless ’em.

Their main point of contention, however, appears to be that one of the sellers is on holiday from today and can’t sort the place out in time. Hmm, it’s the first we’ve heard of that and in any case seeing as the flat has been empty since March, the argument doesn’t impress us much. And we remain even less impressed by the fact that we ourselves were intending to go on holiday in September but have put that off in order to deal with house matters. And, besides, what’s so hard about the remaining seller putting stuff in boxes and taking it away so the one on holiday can deal with it later?? It’s not rocket science, you know. Believe you me, the more they say, the less they are endearing themselves and their position to us.

In any case, we’ve decided that the exchange date will be Tuesday 7 September, as agreed, and the planned completion date, which they had originally agreed should be two weeks after that, will be three weeks after that on Tuesday 28 September if only in order to show that we at least do understand the meaning of compromise. Frankly, if that’s not acceptable, then we’ve seen some nice-looking houses with gardens in the area that don’t need quite so much work and which we can – hurrah! – still afford, so moving out of our current place entirely is beginning to look fairly attractive! Watch this space, eh …

Anyway, we got away from the whole ridiculous shennanigans yesterday by spending a lovely day at Hinton Ampner. Can’t imagine why we’ve never been before, but it’s great and the weather smiled upon us. The house there is good too – especially because there weren’t that many people around so the woman in the main bedroom let us through to the en-suite which was stunning and had the best view from a loo-seat that I’ve ever seen. How I envy that! Maybe we should put in an offer?

This morning, we decided to pop into church. Verdict: good sermon, if longer than we’re used to, but it was a visiting preacher and they’re always a law unto themselves. And the piece of wafer I was given at Communion was the largest I’ve ever known so perhaps the preacher thought I looked terribly sinful and needed all the help I could get. Hell, he’s not wrong there. I still hadn’t managed to swallow it down by the time I got to the wine moment so had to store the dang biscuit in my cheeks like a crazed holy chipmunk while I tried to look serious. Ah the joys of Anglicanism.

I’m astonished to discover that The Girl in the Painting was Untreed Reads‘ 2nd highest bestseller during August, well gosh. Memo to self: must write more lesbian literary stories then, if they prove that popular … Many thanks to those who’ve bought a copy – much appreciated.

6 responses to “Houses and haikus”

Hi Anne, so sorry to hear about the house stress – it seems to me that they might be thinking that whatever they do about the dates won't put you off as you really want it as you are already living there; so you're absolutely doing the right thing in being firm. The fact that they are phoning as well as emailing seems to suggest that they might now be panicking that they could lose you as buyers. They would be absolutely mad to do that and lose what should be a straight forward and friendly transaction and having to start the whole long winded process with someone else who'll probably have a chain behind them!!! I strongly suspect you will get the dates you want and I really hope I'm right. When you've got through all this, ask me about my parents recent house buyer experience (it all came good in the end but tried mum and dad's patience to the limit!). SueXXX

I so feel for you. We were only a chain of three but after the debacle with the shed then no one could agree on a completion date. We told them when we couldn't do it (owing to work commitments) and gave them loads of other times when we could, but no one from either end seemed happy — particularly those we were buying from — and everyone seemed to be looking to us to compromise or give in. As that had been the attitude throughout the entire process we decided we were fed up as being treated by both sides as if what we wanted mattered least and just stuck to our position. Honestly, I don't understand people who mess you about. You start to feel as if someone's playing a game with you and were never actually bothered about buying or selling. Whichever decision you make I hope it all works out for you soon.